Fight in the Light of the Lord
There are no easy answers to living as a righteous Christian. There are two opposing wills in the world, and both demand universal submission. On the one hand, those who reject God demand every person must tolerate every whim a person desires. On the other, Christ demands we reject what is evil and pursue only Him.
This tug-of-war has played out since the beginning of salvation history. The struggle to do good, versus following our own passions. People instinctively know they are wrong when they reject God. That is why they lash out violently when presented with redemption.
However, there are also many well-intentioned Christians who also lash out in rage. They see the degradation of society’s morality slipping away, and want so desperately for the world to be set right. So, instead of binding ones self to the rock of Christ, they engage in trench warfare with anyone who they consider the enemy.
Trench warfare, in the spiritual, cultural, and political discourse, is simply two opposing sides who spend more time in hurling insults at the other, rather than trying to make their viewpoint understood. Those involved in trench warfare prefer to mock what they see as evil, rather than convert to other to do good.
“By mercy and truth iniquity is redeemed: and by fear of the Lord men depart from evil. When the ways of man shall please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace. Better is a little with justice, than great revenues with iniquity.”
People mistakenly engage in trench warfare because their senses tell them that a bombastic assault is the most likely path towards total victory. They forget the lesson of World War II which showed that many lives are lost for no gain in trench warfare. Instead, Christians ought to fortify themselves in their Faith so that they can seek minimal victories, which God will use to provide for bigger gains.
Evil must be opposed but the strategy by which any battle is won is the key to victory. Rather than drawing up battle lines, it is far better to speak to the person, rather than the issue. Every person strives to live in accordance with something they value. It takes time and effort to learn why a sinner believes the way they do, but the effort must be made to understand them, so that you can explain yourself and why the Light of Christ is better than the darkness of sin.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?”
Many people who try to convey Christian truths through a political spectrum, often find themselves engaged in the effort of building up a large number of followers. Political change is predicated on having popular support for your message. In order to accomplish this, they pervert Christian teachings by uttering them in the least charitable way possible which has the consequence of pushing away those who need to be converted, while merely sounding a war trumpet for those who already agree with you.
Even if Christians were able to rally enough support to win Congress or the White House through antagonistic means, the only method they would know to enact Christian values in society is through mandates, rather than conversion. This misguided approach would continue the cycle of rebellion and is doomed to see Christians subjugated once again.
Is is unfortunate that so many have been scandalized by the evil in the world. People want so badly to be an instrument of change, so they go out and try to make a difference. Many people do their best to remain spiritually healthy while engaged in the fight for souls, only to succumb to bitterness after being attacked often enough.
It is important to remember that the goal of any Christian isn’t victory, itself, but putting in the effort required so that God can focus on the victory. It isn’t easy to maintain that level of trust and faith, but it is what’s required. When we measure ourselves based on the number of followers we have, or the masses we convert, we allow pride into our hearts which has great potential to pervert our intentions.
Instead, we should simply rejoice in living as God commands and sharing that light with others so that they may see a better path forward.
